troubling trend
Jul. 28th, 2005 02:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chelidonThere's no overt reason that we shouldn't use technology to make border crossings more efficient, but this new use of RFID technology in cars is a bit chilling. The ability to just walk down the street, and with a properly configured RFID reader, identify which of all cars you walk by are being driven by foreign visitors is troubling enough, if it's misused by the wrong people (or even the "right" people). But who doesn't see this incredibly cheap device becoming required technology on all cars, citizens and visitors alike, once it proves useful for border crossings and tracking foreigners? At that point, once RFID tag sensing devices are installed at various checkpoints and well-traveled locations (highway onramps, etc), every trip you take could be logged, every police car could get an instant readout of registration data on each car they pass, and where they've been...Yes, there's potential positive applications of this, such as more easily tracking stolen cars, but oh, the potential for abuse...
(full article)
Excerpt:
Homeland Security To Launch RFID Systems At Border Crossings
By The Associated Press
TORONTO (AP) --The U.S. Department of Homeland Security will install radio frequency technology at five border posts with Canada and Mexico to track foreigners driving in and out of North America.
In its ongoing efforts to tighten border security and monitor possible terrorist and criminal activity, Bob Mocny of the Department of Homeland Security said the wireless chips for vehicles would become mandatory at designated border crossings in Canada and Mexico as of next Thursday.
“This is a major transformation of how we are going to be gathering information about entries and exits along the border,” Mocny said at a Wednesday news conference in Toronto. “The fundamental obligation of our government is to protect our citizens.”
After a foreigner entering the U.S. has passed a thorough security check once, they will be given a document containing the chip. This document will need to be renewed every six months.
[snip]
(full article)
(full article)
Excerpt:
Homeland Security To Launch RFID Systems At Border Crossings
By The Associated Press
TORONTO (AP) --The U.S. Department of Homeland Security will install radio frequency technology at five border posts with Canada and Mexico to track foreigners driving in and out of North America.
In its ongoing efforts to tighten border security and monitor possible terrorist and criminal activity, Bob Mocny of the Department of Homeland Security said the wireless chips for vehicles would become mandatory at designated border crossings in Canada and Mexico as of next Thursday.
“This is a major transformation of how we are going to be gathering information about entries and exits along the border,” Mocny said at a Wednesday news conference in Toronto. “The fundamental obligation of our government is to protect our citizens.”
After a foreigner entering the U.S. has passed a thorough security check once, they will be given a document containing the chip. This document will need to be renewed every six months.
[snip]
(full article)
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Disturbed
Date: 2005-07-28 06:53 pm (UTC)I can't even begin to express my disgust and paronoidal fear.
Swansister
no subject
Date: 2005-07-28 07:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-07-28 07:18 pm (UTC)On the other hand, long before any of that happens, Peak Oil costs may make it impossible for the government to keep the highways system in good working order, much less install RFID receivers on every onramp. Oh wait, now, that wouldn't be good, either...
I think I'll go chop some more wood. That always cheers me up ;>
no subject
Date: 2005-07-28 07:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-07-28 07:30 pm (UTC)